Rail-joint



(No Model.)

J. W. CLOUD RAIL JOINT.

110.410.151. Patented Sept. 3,1889.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN WV. CLOUD, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

RAIL-JOINT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 410,151, datedSeptember 3, 1889.

Application filed January 2, 1889. S rial No.295,200- N0 model.) i

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, JOHN WV. CLOUD, of Buifalo,county of Erie, State ofNew York, have invented a new and useful Improved Rail-Joint, of whichthe following is a true and exact description, reference being had tothe accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to the rail-joint by which the abutting ends ofrailway-rails are united together; and it has for its object to providea joint of great strength and rigidity, whereby the track may be asnearly as possible of the same strength at the joints as in the centerof the rails.

The novel features of my invention are hereinafter clearly pointed outin the claims, and will be best understood after an explanation of thedrawings, which illustrate theinvention, and in which Figure 1 is avertical section on the line 00 {E of Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is an elevationshowing the abutting ends of two rails provided with my improvedrail-joint in the form and construction preferred by me when thefish-plates are made of malleable iron or other cast metal. Fig. 3isaplan view of the same joint; Fig. 4, an elevation similar to that ofFig. 2, showing my joint as made with the fish-plates formed of arolledsection; and Fig. 5,a crosssection on the line 3 y of Fig. 4.

Ais the rail; 0, a, the lower sides of the railhead; a a, the uppersides of the rail-base.

B indicates my improved fish-plate, two of which are used to make therail-joint; These fish-plates are formed with an upwardly-extendingflange 1), adapted to fit on the under side a of the rail, as shown. Anoutwardlyextending flange Z), adapted to fit upon and extend beyond theupper surface a of the rail-base, and a downwardlyextendin g flange 12extending beneath the base of the rail.

The flange b is pierced with bolt-holes in the usual manner to enablethe pair of fishplates to be secured to the rail ends by bolts 0,passing through them and the web of the rail, and nuts 0 fitting on theend of said bolts. In the downwardly-extending flange of the fish-platesI form bolt-holesf b thetops of which must be below the bottom of therailbase, as shown. A single bolt-hole, or more than one, may be formedin this lower flange of the fish-plate.

Where, as is shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, the fish-plates B are formed ofcast metal, I prefer to strengthen and stilfen them by providing themwith flanges b connecting. the flanges b and I), such flanges acting tobrace and strengthen the casting; and I also prefer, when using castmetal, to form projections 19 5 19 on the upper face of flange Z) and atits center and ends, such projectionsresting on the underfaces a of therail-head, while the spaces 19 between the projections do not come incontact with it. give a better and tighter hold upon the rail than wherethe entire upper face of the flange b rests against it. The same formmay be used when made of pressed metal. In all. cases I prefer to makethe lower flange b shorter than the upper flangebof the fish-plates, andpreferably make its length so that it, can be inserted between two ties,so as to come in contact, ornearly so, with both of them, thisconstruction acting to prevent creeping.

D is a bolt adapted to pass through the boltholes 6 in the flange. b ofthe fish-plates, being of sufficient length to extend through theboltholes of both fish-plates. D is a nut screwing on the end of bolt D.

My improved fish-plates are secured to the rail by the bolt 0 in theusual manner, as is best shown in Figs. 1 and 5. After they are in placethe bolt D is inserted in the bolt-holes b of the lower flange and thenut D screwed down tight upon its end. It is necessary in all cases thatthe flangeb' should extend out beyond the edge of the rail-base, sothat. the dependent or downwardly-extending flange 19 should not in anycase abut against or come in contact with the edge of the rail-base. Theresult of drawing the flanges 11 together. by means of the bolt D andits nut D is therefore to press the flange or web I) and theupwardly-extending flange 1) against the base and head of the rail,respectively, thus coacting with the bolt 0; and, owing to the positionof the bolt D when once in place, it acts with great power to preventthe spreading of the fish-plates under the load of a passing train, thusgreatly increasing the stiffness and rigidity of the joint. By theconstruction de- This device Ibelieve to scribed, in which the flanges bare so placed that they cannot come in contact with the edge of the railbase and the boltholes I) placed so far below the rail-base that thebolt D cannot come in contact with the bottom of the rail, thestructural unity of the joint is made perfect, which would not be thecase were either of the flanges b or the bolt 1) in contact with therail.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A rail-joint consisting of two fish-plates 13, havingupwardly-extending flanges b, adapted to fit under the head of a railand provided witlibolt-holes, outwardly-extending flanges 1), adapted toextend along and over the rail-base, and downwardly-extending flanges [7adapted to extend below the railbase without coming in contact with itand provided with one or more bolt-holes If at a point or points belowthe level of the railbase, in combination with bolts for securing theflanges b to the rail and a bolt or bolts passing through thedownwardly-extending flanges, said fish-plate flanges b and the bolt orbolts uniting them beneath the rail-base being so constructed andcombined as not to press directly or indirectly upon the under side ofthe rail.

2. As a new article of manufacture, a railway fish-plate having anupwardly-extendin g flange b, adapted to fit beneath the head of therail and provided with bolt-holes, an outwardly-extending flange 1),adapted to lie along and extend beyond the rail-base, and adownwardly-extending flange b adapted to extend below the rail-basewithout coming in contact with it or passing beneath its edges, andhaving one or more bolt-holes at a pointbelbw the level of saidrail-base, all substantially as described, and so as to form with asimilar plate a rail-j oint of the kind specified.

As a new article of manufacture, a railway fish-plate having anupwardly-extending flange 1), adapted to fit beneath the head of therail and provided with bolt-holes, an outwardly-extending flange 12,adapted to lie along and extend beyond the rail-base, and adownwardly-extending flange b shorter than the flange 7), adapted toextend below the railbase without coming in contact with it or passingbeneath its edges, and having one or more bolt-holes at a point belowthe level of said rail-base, all substantially as described, and so asto form with. a similar plate a railjoint of the kind specified.

4L. As a new article of manufacture, a railway fish-plate having anupwardly-ex tending flange 1), adapted to fit beneath the head of therail and provided with bolt-holes, an outwardlyextending flange 1),adapted to lie along and extend beyond the rail-base, adownwardly-extending flange b shorter than the flange 1), adapted toextend below the rail-base without comin g in contact with it, andhaving one or more bolt-holes at a point below the level of saidrail-base, and a web 17*, connecting the flanges '17 and b, allsubstantially as described, and so as to form with a similar plate arail-joint of the kind specified.

5. As a new article of manufacture, a railway fish-plate having anupwardly-extending flange I), having projections b adapted to fitbeneath the head of the rail at the center and the ends of the flange,said upwardly-extending flange being provided with bolt-holes, anoutwardly-extending flange 1), adapted to lie along and extend beyondthe rail-base, and a downwardly-extending flange b shorter than theflange 1), adapted to extend below the rail base without coming incontact with it, and having one or more bolt-holes at a point be low thelevel of said rail-base, all substantially as described, and so as toform with a similar plate a rail-joint of the kind specified.

(5. As a new article of manufacture, a railway fish-plate havin anupWardly-exten ding flange I), having project-ions 5 adapted to fitbeneath the head of the rail at the center and the ends of the flange,said upwardly-extending flange being provided with bolt-holes, anoutwardly-extending flange I), adapted to lie along and extend beyondthe rail-base, a downwardly-extending flange b shorter than the flange1), adapted to extend below the rail-base without coming in contact withit, and having one or more bolt-holes at a point below the level of saidrail-base, and a web 1), connecting the flanges Z) and b,allsubstantially as described, and so as to form with a similar plate arail-joint of the kind specified.

JOHN \V. CLOUD.

\Vitnesses:

A. G. THOMASON, F. A. KIsTLER.

